The NVAO has published its 2025 Annual Report. In the report, the organisation reflects on a year in which higher education in the Netherlands, Flanders and Luxembourg was undergoing significant change. Topics such as quality assurance, internationalisation, greater flexibility in educational provision, work-based learning and the impact of Generative AI featured prominently on the agenda.
For the Netherlands, 2025 was marked by a substantial increase in the number of accreditation decisions, the launch of the third cycle of the Institutional Quality Assurance Assessment (ITK), and the completion of the evaluation of the higher education quality agreements. In addition, preparations began for the further development of the current quality assurance system.
In Flanders, efforts focused on the transition to a new quality assurance cycle for the period 2025-2031. New associate degree and master's programmes were also assessed, and the NVAO published several analyses and advisory reports, including on student participation and teacher education programmes.
Internationally, the NVAO remained actively involved in quality assurance developments both within Europe and beyond. The organisation conducted assessments in Luxembourg and the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, contributed to European developments relating to joint programmes and university alliances, and participated in a range of international quality assurance initiatives.
In 2025, the NVAO also devoted attention to thematic analyses. Studies on work-based learning in associate degree programmes and on the implications of Generative AI for quality assurance were completed and published in 2026. Through these initiatives, the NVAO aims not only to assess quality, but also to contribute to the ongoing development of higher education and the strengthening of quality culture within institutions.
With the 2025 Annual Report, the NVAO accounts for its activities and results while providing insight into the developments that influence the quality of higher education today and in the future. The report is currently only available in Dutch.